Anti-Power
Anti-power weapons and ammunition are a unique type of combat element found in the TBA. Overview Anti-power weapons are weapons that either fire power-nullifying ammunition, or the weapon itself can have power nullification. "Anti-power" is generally shortened to "A-P" (pronounced A dash P). It is necessary to include the dash to distinguish it from the acronym "AP," as "AP" generally refers to armor piercing. Description A-P weapons are, of course, weapons that are able to completely nullify and bypass the powers of whoever or whatever is injured/damaged. They are usually present in the form of firearm ammunition, bladed melees, and various explosives such as fragmentation grenades or even rockets. The power nullification properties only work if a) the target has been injured/damaged by the blade or projectile, and b) the blade or projectile stay inside the target. For example, if Person A stabs Person B with an A-P knife and the knife is stuck in Person B, Person B's powers are nullified. However, once the knife is removed, Person B will regain their powers and said powers will work as normal. Same thing happens with A-P projectiles such as bullets, shotgun pellets, grenade fragments, etc. If the projectile stays in the target, their powers will be nullified. If the projectile has over-penetrated or otherwise is not in the target for some reason, they will still have their powers after the projectile is removed. If two people are fighting with A-P blades, the blades will counteract each other's power nullification and treat them like normal blades. In essence, an A-P blade fight is identical to normal bladed combat. All A-P ammunition and weapons are distinguishable from normal ammunition and weapons by its purple color, as seen in the examples category down below. A-P elements function on both organic and inorganic material. Ammunition, Blades, and Miscellaneous Weapons Due to the way power nullification works in the TBA, A-P blunt melee weapons (such as clubs, baseball bats, etc.) are virtually ineffective at properly utilizing its power nullification properties. Not all A-P rounds are created equally. A single A-P bullet (from any normal, non-shotgun cartridge) is enough to completely nullify the target's powers. However, in the case of shotgun shells, it depends on how many pellets have struck and stuck inside the target, as well as the exact type of shell. If only one pellet is in the target, their powers will only be partially nullified. This is why many A-P shotgun wielders prefer slugs as their main choice of shotgun load. Due to how A-P rounds naturally work, armor piercing A-P rounds are constantly the subject of debate. Some people say they're nearly useless due to over-penetration (and thus the power nullification would no longer work once the projectile exits the target, thus rendering the power nullification ostensibly moot), however others say that armor piercing A-P rounds can be very useful against a group of enemies or if the target is wearing some sort of physical armor. Shotgun Cartridges As mentioned before, A-P shotgun rounds work differently than normal cartridges. Instead of having one buckshot pellet/birdshot pellet/flechette needle completely nullify the target's powers, it will only nullify a percentage of the power. How much a single projectile nullifies is directly based on how many projectiles are in the individual shotgun cartridge. There are four main types of shotgun loads which are commonly used as A-P rounds: buckshot, birdshot, flechette, and slug. This table illustrates the amount of projectiles possible in a single shotgun cartridge as well as how much power nullification one projectile would achieve. Shotgun shell power nullification table.png Examples of Anti-Power Implements cartridge with purple tipped bullet.jpg|An anti-power 5.56-45mm rifle cartridge. 26 gauge purple shotgun cartridge.jpg|An anti-power 26 gauge buckshot shotgun cartridge. knife with purple blade.jpg|An anti-power pocket knife. purple grenade.jpg|An anti-power fragmentation grenade. Weaknesses #A-P ammunition can only be fired via specialized weapons capable of firing said ammunition. If you tried to fire an A-P round through a conventional weapon, either the power nullification will not kick in, or in the worst case scenario the round will explode and destroy even an indestructible weapon due to the sheer power the cartridge contains. For example, let's say Jamison's Desert Eagle L6 was specifically designed to be able to fire A-P rounds. If he were to fire the same ammunition out of a conventional Desert Eagle, it would fail. ##To add insult to injury, only a few weapons are readily available to fire A-P rounds, as the entire anti-power element is a new concept and is still being researched and refined. ##A-P firearms are indeed capable of firing conventional ammunition, however it will not grant the rounds power nullification. You need both an A-P firearm and an A-P round to properly utilize the latter's power nullification ability. #Due to how powerful A-P rounds are, the recoil from firing one is often noticeably stronger than when firing a conventional cartridge. The extra recoil isn't bone-shattering strong, but more experienced shooters can tell the difference between a normal 9x19mm round and an A-P 9x19mm round simply by the differences in recoil. ##Because of this, many A-P firearm users prefer using smaller or less powerful calibers in order to compensate for the added kick. #Certain A-P rounds and projectiles will not pierce conventional objects or armor, however the penetration is heavily dependent on the exact cartridge used. If a 9x19mm A-P round shot a target wearing a ballistic vest, the bullet will not pierce through the armor, nor will it nullify the target's powers as the bullet has not directly pierced the target. However, if a .50 BMG anti-materiel round were to be fired at a target also wearing a ballistic vest, it would of course pierce the vest and injure the target. In short, if your enemy is wearing physical armor, your A-P rounds are as good as normal rounds (with exceptions of course). #Anti-power means just that - anti-''power. ''It will not nullify a target's natural abilities, it only nullifies supernatural or otherwise usually impossible powers by our standards.